Trimble feels heat as 30 party members walk out
The desertion of 30 UUP members from the Upper Bann association meeting, while a personal blow to Trimble, should not unduly harm efforts to salvage the Northern Assembly, Government sources insisted last night.
However with an historic meeting between Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley scheduled for Thursday, sources were confident that Mr Trimble's misfortunes would not scupper efforts to reconvene the Northern Assembly.
With Mr Trimble severely weakened since the DUP surpassed his party as the largest party in the province in the recent Stormont elections, extensive efforts have been continuing to open constructive negotiations with Mr Paisley despite his hard-line stance.
Thursday's talks, scheduled for the Irish embassy in London, were described last week as enormously significant by Mr Ahern.
"There was a lot of talk prior to Christmas that, perhaps, we would not get to this stage, so I always welcome breaking new ground. I think we have to engage," said the Taoiseach.
Although behind the scenes Dublin and London remain pessimistic about this week's talks, Mr Ahern has made it repeatedly clear that the agenda of the Irish Government is to get the Assembly and the Northern institutions back up and running.
For many, the focus of that goal will rest on a review of the Good Friday Agreement, involving the British and Irish Governments and all the parties, which is due to begin on February 3.
Meanwhile Mr Ahern, will also meet loyalist paramilitary representatives in Dublin today at an undisclosed location.
The Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG), which speaks on behalf of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), is understood to want to focus on loyalist concerns about the peace process and a dispute concerning loyalist inmates at Maghaberry Prison, Co Antrim.
